It was that the Broncos went 87-13 run despite their top two tailbacks, Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno, being unable to play most of the game because of first-quarter injuries.

Moreno, who had a spectacular 24-yard run in which he hurdled a tackler, suffered a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Moreno will have an MRI today to determine if there's a tear, but the initial diagnosis has him missing Thursday night's home game against the New York Jets.

McGahee suffered a strained hamstring on his fourth carry of the Broncos' opening drive.

"I'll be all right," McGahee said after the Broncos beat the Chiefs 17-10. "I could have come back in an emergency situation."

With Moreno and McGahee out, Lance Ball rushed for 96 yards on 30 carries, quarterback Tim Tebow had 43 yards on nine carries, fullback Spencer Larsen had a career-high five carries for 17 yards and flanker Eddie Royal had three carries for 19 yards.

The Broncos will have some other bumps and bruises to monitor.

Offensive tackle Ryan Clady left the game in the third quarter because of what appeared to be an ankle injury, but he returned.

Offensive tackle Chris Clark, who often lines up as Denver's extra tight end, limped off the field in the first quarter with a knee injury. He also returned.Hurting hand.

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Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel may have a fractured right (passing) hand.

Cassel suffered the injury in the fourth quarter.

"I don't know how it happened," said Cassel, who was sacked four times and completed only 13-of-28 passes for 93 yards.

Mays replaces Woodyard.

Starting middle linebacker Joe Mays saw his playing time increase substantially because of a knee injury to Wesley Woodyard, who usually plays in the Broncos' nickel defense. Woodyard tested his knee before the game at Arrowhead Stadium but was unable to play.

Mays finished with eight tackles, one quarterback hit and one pass defended.

"It was different, a lot more pass responsibility," Mays said. "As long as I'm able to do the things they ask me to do well, the sky's the limit for me. I'm just looking for Thursday to see what they have for me."

Been there, done that.

Sunday's game looked familiar to Broncos coach John Fox. He was asked if he had ever been involved in a game when his team attempted only eight passes. "Actually, I have," Fox said.

On Dec. 24, 2006, quarterback Chris Weinke attempted seven passes for Fox's Carolina Panthers. Four were completed, one for a touchdown, in a 10-3 victory over the Falcons.

The Panthers ran 52 times in that game for 183 yards.

Tebow completed two passes Sunday against the Chiefs, one for a touchdown. The Broncos ran 55 times for 244 yards.

Haggan holds on.

The only time the Broncos seemed in danger of losing Sunday was when the Chiefs attempted an onside kick with 11 seconds remaining.

But backup linebacker Mario Haggan grabbed the bouncing kick, then held on while Chief after Chief tried to punch, tug, wrestle and pull the ball away.

"I had it the whole time," Haggan said. "It was a slow roller, but it got to me just in time."

Footnotes.

Running back Lance Ball had career highs in carries (30) and yards rushing (96) for the Broncos. His previous bests were 13 carries for 83 yards against the Titans in 2008. . . . For the second consecutive game, the Broncos dressed three quarterbacks. And for the second consecutive game, Brady Quinn was to be the No. 2 QB. Kyle Orton, the starting QB through the first five games and most of the previous two seasons, is now No. 3.

Not all kids who play baseball are uniformed with fancy script across their chests, traveling to $1,000 instructional camps and drilled how to properly hit the cut-off man. Some kids just play to play.